A quick orientation: Yeouido (여의도) is an island in the Han River (한강), in the middle of Seoul. It’s home to the National Assembly and the city’s financial district. Yeouido Park (여의도공원) is the long strip of green right in the middle of it. SEOULDAL (서울달) is a tethered helium balloon that started flying over Yeouido Park in 2024. Dal (달) is the Korean word for “moon,” so the name reads roughly as “Seoul Moon.” Entry to the park is free, but you need a ticket for the balloon.

When people think of Yeouido, they think of buildings: the domed roof of the National Assembly, and office towers lit up with the signs of securities firms. Yeouido is where Seoul’s politics and finance meet. It was planned from the ground up, so the streets are straight, orderly and clean. And right in the middle of all those towers is a long strip of green. That’s Yeouido Park.

If Yeouido is one of Seoul’s jewels, Yeouido Park is the jewel inside it. There are two ways to see this park properly: once from the sky, and once on foot. For the view from the sky, you ride SEOULDAL, the balloon that rises over Yeouido Park.

The SEOULDAL balloon floating in a blue sky above Yeouido-daero, next to a row of Yeouido office towers — SEOULDAL above Yeouido-daero (여의도대로). It looks as if it’s trying to out-climb the towers beside it.

A moon among the towers

SEOULDAL is Seoul’s newest night attraction, launched in 2024. The official description calls it a tethered helium balloon that rises vertically above Yeouido. In plain terms, it’s a huge balloon tied to the ground by a single cable. It doesn’t drift with the wind. It goes straight up, then comes straight back down. “SEOUL MY SOUL” is printed in big letters across the balloon, and a round gondola hangs underneath.

SEOULDAL floating among wispy clouds in a blue sky, with a round gondola beneath the balloon and a thin cable running down to the ground — One thin cable runs from under the gondola all the way to the ground. That cable is what holds SEOULDAL in place.

Walking through the park, you catch this round shape between the trees and suddenly get why they named it after the moon. When I saw it at night, it was resting close to the ground, bathed in light. It really did look as if the moon had come down to sit in the middle of the park.

The giant SEOULDAL balloon lit up at night, seen between the trees of Yeouido Park, with SEOUL MY SOUL printed on it — SEOULDAL at night. Seen through the branches, its size really sinks in.

The official description has a nice line. You can look down on Seoul’s night view from SEOULDAL, but from a distance, SEOULDAL becomes part of that night view. Ride it, then walk the park and look up, and you’ll see what they mean. You get to enjoy it from inside and from outside.

Book ahead, or just walk up

You can book SEOULDAL in advance, or buy a ticket on the spot. Locals usually book through Naver or KakaoTalk, two Korean apps. For international visitors, Visit Seoul (the city’s official tourism site) points to Klook, KKday and Trip.com. You can plan the date ahead, or decide on a whim halfway through a walk in the park. Either works.

The SEOULDAL container building lit up after sunset, with a moon-shaped character sign, purple SEOULDAL neon lettering, and people queuing at the foot of the stairs — The SEOULDAL building with its moon character sign. People were lining up below the stairs, and white flowers were in full bloom out front.

One thing to keep in mind is the weather. SEOULDAL is sensitive to wind and rain, so whether it flies is decided in real time. If it isn’t running when you arrive, you can wait for it to start again or come back another day. On a windy day, check before you head out.

I rode it at the end of August, around sunset.

Up top, the whole park is under your feet

The gondola is shaped like a doughnut, open in the middle. Everyone stands in a ring along the railing, and the cable holding SEOULDAL runs through the open center straight down to the ground. Look down through that gap, and this is what you see.

Yeouido Park seen straight down through the middle of the SEOULDAL gondola, with the round railing printed with SEOULDAL and SEOUL MY SOUL, the cable dropping to the ground, and a round lawn directly below — Looking down through the gondola. A single cable drops straight to the ground, and the round lawn is right beneath your feet.

The higher you go, the more the park’s shape reveals itself. I’d never noticed it on foot, but Yeouido Park is a long green strip slotted in between the towers. There’s a wide boulevard on one side and office buildings on the other. Dense trees fill the space between, and an oval lawn opens up in the middle. At the far end, the Han River runs across.

The whole of Yeouido Park seen from SEOULDAL, with woods and an oval lawn, the Han River and Mapo Bridge beyond, and a red-framed skyscraper on the right — All of Yeouido Park from SEOULDAL. The Han River runs across the far end of the park, with Mapo Bridge (마포대교) leading to the other bank. The red-framed tower on the right is Parc1 (파크원).

From up here, you can see at a glance that Yeouido is a planned city. The boulevards run ruler-straight and the buildings stand in neat rows, block by block. Right in the middle of that tidy grid, the park takes up a whole long strip. From above, it’s even more striking that such an orderly financial district kept this much forest at its heart.

There’s someone on board who explains things as you go. They’re friendly and easy to listen to. Without them, the view might have stopped at “wow, that’s high.” With them, it feels a step closer.

A wide view of Yeouido from the SEOULDAL gondola, with lines across the top of the frame, the Han River, mountain ridges beyond, and office towers on the right — The lines across the top of the frame are attached to the gondola. Towers, park, river, and the ridges across the river all fit in one shot.

Turn around, and there’s the sunset

Because the gondola is round, the view changes as you move around it. I’d been facing the river. When I turned to the other side, the sky was turning orange.

Yeouido at sunset seen from SEOULDAL, with a low band of orange sky over the domed National Assembly Building and several bridges across the Han River — The sunset settled low along the horizon. The green dome in the middle is the National Assembly Building (국회의사당), and to the right, bridges line up one behind another across the Han River.

The National Assembly and the Han River under a deepening sunset, with the rooftop of the Korea Development Bank building in the foreground — A few minutes later, the colors had deepened. The building in front carries the sign of the Korea Development Bank (한국산업은행).

The National Assembly in the distance, a bank right in front. Politics and finance, Yeouido’s two faces, in a single frame. By day Yeouido is a city of office towers, but from above at dusk it looks a little different. Lights come on one by one along the tree-lined streets. Ride SEOULDAL around sunset and you get the daytime view and the sunset in one go.

Back on the ground, one line in the sky

Back on the ground, I stood in the park and looked up. From the spot where I’d just been, a single line ran straight up into the sky. Up at the other end, someone else was probably looking at the same view.

Office towers seen from Yeouido Park just after sunset, with SEOULDAL's cable running straight up the middle of the sky and a crane on top of a building under construction on the right — The thin line running straight up the middle is SEOULDAL’s cable. On the right, a crane still stands on top of a building.

Remember that building on the right, the one with the crane. Here’s what I saw when I looked up from the same park, one year later.

Yeouido towers at night seen from the park, including a finished high-rise with arched windows and lights on in every window — September 2026. The building was finished, with lights on in every window.

That’s why I suggest riding SEOULDAL once every season. Yeouido’s colors change with the seasons, and its skyline changes from year to year. From above, you see all of it at once.

Now on foot: Yeouido Park

A white sculpture spelling out Yeouido Park in Korean letters, standing in the shade of trees next to a walking path — The “Yeouido Park” (여의도공원) letter sculpture. Even the September sun feels softer in the shade of these trees.

All that dense green you see from SEOULDAL turns out to be trees. I couldn’t capture the whole park in photos, but walking paths run through the shade, and there are wide lawns where you can spread out a picnic mat. In Korea, bringing a mat (돗자리, dotjari) to the park and settling in for the afternoon is a classic way to spend a day off. Sit on one with family or with someone special, and you’ll forget you’re in the middle of a business district.

Thanks to those trees, you can actually see the seasons change in Yeouido. When autumn comes, the park’s green turns red. It’s a place to see fall foliage in the middle of the city, right next to the office towers.

Yeouido Park is also a regular venue for marathons and all kinds of events. To people in Seoul, it’s more than a park. It’s more like a big public yard where something is always going on.

Cool evenings bring out the runners: 3 km a lap

Evenings in Yeouido Park belong to the runners. Once the sun goes down and the air cools, the number of people running around the park jumps. The loop around the park is laid with a mat that’s easy on your legs, and one lap is about 3 km. Do one easy lap, or pick a number of laps and go for it.

The flagpole plaza of Yeouido Park in the evening, with pine trees and a sculpture in front of lit office towers, and people in sportswear gathered together — Around 7 pm, under the flagpole flying the Korean flag. People in sportswear are gathered on the right.

If you like running, pack your running shoes. After one lap under the lights of the towers, you’ll remember Yeouido a little differently.

Inline skates and bikes on the big plaza

Inside the park there’s a large plaza where no cars are allowed. If you love inline skating or cycling, or want to learn, it’s hard to beat. It’s wide, flat and car-free. Learning is a lot less scary when you’re somewhere it’s okay to fall.

The large plaza in Yeouido Park at night, with people inline skating and cycling, a group running together, and a cart loaded with kick scooters and balls — The plaza at night. Inline skaters, a cyclist and a group of runners all share the space. At the bottom right is a cart piled with kick scooters and balls.

An old airplane at the edge of the plaza

A propeller airplane on display in the Yeouido Park plaza next to the Korean flag, with lit Yeouido towers behind — An old airplane and the Korean flag at one side of the plaza, with the lit-up towers of Yeouido behind.

On one side of the plaza stands an old propeller plane. The pedestal reads “C-47.” With the brightly lit modern towers behind it, two very different eras seemed to overlap in one scene.

Ride SEOULDAL once a season, and don’t miss autumn

SEOULDAL lit up at night, the C-47 airplane on display, the Korean flag and Yeouido towers, all in one frame from the park plaza — SEOULDAL, the old plane and the Yeouido towers. Everything this park has, in one picture.

From SEOULDAL, the whole of Yeouido Park and the Han River are in view at once, so you can see the seasons change right in front of you. It’s a place to take in all four seasons of Seoul and Yeouido from a single spot.

Of all of them, autumn is when Seoul and Yeouido look their best. The trees that fill the park turn red, and a long ribbon of fall color lies between the neat rows of towers. Few places let you feel the season turn this strongly in the middle of a city. And from August to October, SEOULDAL stays open an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays, until 11 pm. That’s perfect for a slow autumn night.

The SEOULDAL photos in this post show the green of late August. To see what color the same view turns in autumn, go up and look for yourself. Whether you’re with family or with someone special, it makes for a good time.

Yeouido Park is a place you should stop by when you’re in Seoul. It’s where you can feel both Seoul’s four seasons and its slower, easier side.

If you like running, bring running shoes and do the 3 km loop.
If you love inline skating or cycling, or want to learn, try the wide, safe plaza.
If you’re with family or a partner, spread a picnic mat on the lawn.
And ride SEOULDAL once a season. In autumn, for sure.

Yeouido is one of Seoul’s jewels, and Yeouido Park is the jewel inside it. Do stop by.

Getting there and practical info

Yeouido-daero with the trees of Yeouido Park on the left, high-rises including Parc1 on the right, and Korean road markings that read Mapo Bridge — Yeouido-daero. The trees on the left are Yeouido Park, and the towers are on the right. The Korean road marking says “Mapo Bridge” (마포대교). Follow this road straight ahead and you reach the Han River.

SEOULDAL

Name	SEOULDAL (서울달)
Address	68-1 Yeouigongwon-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul (inside Yeouido Park)
Hours	12:00–22:00 (last flight 21:30)
Extended hours	Fridays and Saturdays, August to October: until 23:00
Open	Monday to Sunday
Tickets	On-site, or online via Klook / KKday / Trip.com (Korean users: Naver Place / KakaoTalk Reservation)
On board	Someone on board explains things during the ride
Weather	Whether it flies is decided in real time, depending on strong wind, heavy rain and other conditions
Parking	No dedicated parking. Use public transport or paid parking nearby
Nearest subway	Yeouido Station (여의도역), Line 5, Exit 3 (568 m) / National Assembly Station (국회의사당역), Line 9, Exit 3 (559 m)
Phone	+82-70-4155-4528

SEOULDAL fares

Adults (19–64)	KRW 25,000
Youth (13–18)	KRW 20,000
Seniors (65+)	KRW 20,000
Children (3–12)	KRW 15,000
Groups (20+ people)	20% off
Climate Card holders (기후동행카드, Seoul’s unlimited transit pass)	10% off (ends September 30, 2026)

For any fare other than adult, show ID or supporting documents when you get your ticket.
Discounts can’t be combined.

Before you ride

Children under 13 must ride with a guardian aged 19 or older.
Passengers 110 cm tall or shorter may find their view blocked.
Wheelchairs and strollers wider than 90 cm can’t go on board. Leave them next to the storage lockers before boarding.
Pets can’t ride, and there’s no place for them to wait.
If you’re pregnant or afraid of heights, think it over before you ride.

Yeouido Park

Location	Yeouido Park, Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Loop	About 3 km per lap, laid with a running mat
Things to do	Walking and running, picnics on the lawn, inline skating and cycling
Admission	Free
Best season	Autumn, for fall foliage in the middle of the city

SEOULDAL fares and hours are based on Visit Seoul’s SEOULDAL page (updated September 11, 2026). They may change, so please check again before you go.
👉 Visit Seoul: SEOULDAL (English) · SEOULDAL official website (Korean)

FAQ

Q. How much does SEOULDAL cost?
Adults (19–64) pay KRW 25,000, youth (13–18) and seniors (65+) KRW 20,000, and children (3–12) KRW 15,000. Groups of 20 or more get 20% off. Discounts can’t be combined.

Q. What are SEOULDAL’s opening hours?
Every day from 12:00 to 22:00, with the last flight at 21:30. On Fridays and Saturdays from August to October, it runs an hour later, until 23:00.

Q. Do I need to book SEOULDAL in advance?
No. You can buy a ticket on the spot, or book ahead online. International visitors can book through Klook, KKday or Trip.com.

Q. Does it fly in rain or strong wind?
SEOULDAL is sensitive to strong wind and heavy rain, so whether it flies is decided in real time. If it isn’t flying when you arrive, you can wait for it to start again or come back another day.

Q. When is the best time to ride SEOULDAL?
Ideally, once a season. Autumn is the most beautiful: the park’s trees turn red, and you look down on fall foliage in the middle of the city. Go around sunset and you get the daytime view and the sunset together.

Q. Is there commentary on board?
Yes. Someone on board explains things during the ride.

Q. What can you see from SEOULDAL?
All of Yeouido Park below you, the Han River and Mapo Bridge at the far end, and the ridges across the river. On the other side, you see the National Assembly Building and the bridges over the Han.

Q. Can children or strollers come on board?
Children under 13 must ride with a guardian aged 19 or older. Passengers 110 cm tall or shorter may find their view blocked. Strollers and wheelchairs wider than 90 cm can’t board and are left next to the storage lockers.

Q. Can I bring my pet?
Pets can’t ride and there’s no waiting area for them, so visitors are asked not to bring pets.

Q. Is there parking?
SEOULDAL has no parking of its own. Use public transport or paid public or private parking nearby. You can walk there from Exit 3 of Yeouido Station (Line 5) or Exit 3 of National Assembly Station (Line 9).

Q. How long is one lap of Yeouido Park?
About 3 km. The loop is laid with a running mat, and on cool evenings you’ll see plenty of runners.

Q. Can I have a picnic on the lawn?
Yes. Lots of people spread a mat on the lawns inside the park and relax.

Q. Can I cycle or inline skate there?
Yes. The park has a large car-free plaza that’s great for inline skating and cycling, and it’s safe for beginners too.

In one line

Yeouido Park is a place to see twice: once from the sky on SEOULDAL, and once on foot in your running shoes. Come back each season and a different park will be waiting. Especially in autumn.

SEOULDAL at Yeouido Park — Seoul’s Balloon Ride, Once From the Sky and Once on Foot